Victor Lee “Vic” Backlund (born September 12, 1936) is an American politician who served as a member of the

Oregon House of Representatives The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, the upper house being the Oregon State Senate. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of ...

representing Keizer for 3 terms.

Athletic career

Backlund grew up in

Bandon, Oregon Bandon () is a city in Coos County, Oregon, Coos County, Oregon, United States, on the south side of the mouth of the Coquille River (Oregon), Coquille River. It was named by George Bennet, an Republic of Ireland, Irish peer, who settled nearby i ...

, attending Bandon Senior High School where he played baseball, football, and basketball,

lettering Lettering or Lettering design is an act or result of artfully drawing letters, instead of writing them simply. Lettering is considered an art form, where each letter in a phrase or quote acts as an illustration. Each letter is created with attent ...

11 times. He graduated as Valedictorian in 1954. He attended college at

Willamette University Willamette University is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college with locations in Salem, Oregon, Salem and Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest college in the Western United ...

where he continued to play three sports and lettered 10 times. He went on to play minor league baseball. In 1960, Backlund enlisted in the U.S. Army reserves and retired from baseball. He started coaching JV football and JV baseball in 1961 at North Salem High School. He transitioned to

McNary High School McNary High School (MHS) is the only public high school located in Keizer, Oregon, United States. History In December 1962, voters passed a bond that would relieve overcrowding in North Salem and South Salem High Schools. The naming process wa ...

in 1965 upon its opening as a social studies teacher and football coach. He led the baseball team to 14 state playoffs and is regarded as McNary's best ever coach and one of the best High School coaches in Oregon. He was

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the West Coast of the United States, U.S. West Coast, founded as a weekly by Tho ...

's 1989 Coach of the Year.

Political career

Backlund is described as a moderate Republican. He was the last Republican elected to the 33rd district, when in 2000 he ran unopposed to represent the Keizer district. Backlund was associated with the

Council of State Governments The Council of State Governments (CSG) is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization in the United States that serves all three branches of state government. Founded in 1933 by Colorado state senator Henry W. Toll, CSG is a region-based forum t ...

in 2003. Backlund won the 1982 Keizer first citizen award. Backlund decided not to run for a fourth term in 2006, saying he wished to travel.

Personal life

Backlund married his wife Karen Enberg (1938-2024), who he met in college, in 1959. He has two children with her, Valerie and Brett. He is a Presbyterian.

References

External links

Career stats from BaseballReference
{{DEFAULTSORT:Backlund, Vic 1936 births Living people Presbyterians from Oregon Republican Party members of the Oregon House of Representatives 21st-century members of the Oregon Legislative Assembly 20th-century members of the Oregon Legislative Assembly People from Keizer, Oregon American athlete-politicians Sportspeople from Coos County, Oregon Los Angeles Dodgers players Willamette Bearcats baseball players Willamette Bearcats football players